The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories

Since the dawn of recorded time, stories of the unreal, of trolls and werewolves, spells and sorcerers, and magic lands have been part of the human psyche. In the present century, far from being outdated by the rise of technology and science fiction, fantasy has once more become a major literary genre, expressive of the deepest feelings about humanity and its relation to the natural world. Built on the ancient foundation of the fairy tale but sharply distinguished from it, the...
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Since the dawn of recorded time, stories of the unreal, of trolls and werewolves, spells and sorcerers, and magic lands have been part of the human psyche. In the present century, far from being outdated by the rise of technology and science fiction, fantasy has once more become a major literary genre, expressive of the deepest feelings about humanity and its relation to the natural world.
Built on the ancient foundation of the fairy tale but sharply distinguished from it, the fantasy story has evolved in often ephemeral and little-known magazines. Now Tom Shippey, editor of the companion volume The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories, has brought together thiry-one short fantasy stories from the last years of the nineteenth century to the immediate present. The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories both shows the development of the fantasy genre over time, and showcases the talents of individual writers it has embraced, from Lord Dunsany and H.P. Lovecraft through John Buchan, Mervyn Peake, Larry Niven, and Angela Carter to the latest creations of Tanith Lee, Lucius Shepard, and Terry Pratchett.
For lovers of fantasy, The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories provides a rare chance to savor many successful stories that have fallen out of print, or missed out on fame. For those new to the genre, it will form an ideal introduction to perhaps the purest of literary pleasures.